Posts Tagged ‘Equity Release Lifetime Mortgage’

Aviva equity release plans have proved the most popular form of lifetime mortgage scheme over the past 15 years.

The reason for their popularity has been down to a combination of brand name, simplicity and the fact that Aviva have regularly provided the lowest equity release interest rates.

However, during that time there has been a cloud hanging over their lifestyle flexi mortgage range and that is the issue over the maximum early repayment charge & the lack of a partial repayment facility. It’s always been a case of all, or nothing with regards to paying off Aviva’s equity release schemes – now we have a choice.

Aviva – time for change

In the past few weeks Aviva have bravely taken steps to alleviate these issues with some bold amendments to their lifetime mortgage range. In fact the impact these changes could make, will dramatically alter the way equity release schemes will be used & managed in the future. Other equity release companies will undoubtedly take note of these new features & it can only signal the start of further innovation in lifetime mortgage industry.

Aviva have introduced three new approaches to equity release: –

new voluntary repayment features can be used to actually clear the equity release loan over a set number of years

An early repayment charge exemption can be applied on first death for any new joint equity release lifetime mortgage (see later article)

Why Aviva needed to up the ante

Monday 28th April heralded the start of swinging changes to the Aviva Lifestyle Mortgage range. All Aviva’s new equity release applications from this date forth would have the ability for partial repayments to be made back to Aviva.

However, from our company perspective during 2013, Equity Release Supermarket had seen its share of applications move significantly towards the Hodge Flexible Lifetime mortgage range. This has been due to Hodge Lifetime’s two pronged attack on becoming the most popular & flexible lifetime mortgage product. Their innovative move towards being able to repay upto 10% of the original capital borrowed & the ability to downsize after 5 years & repay the loan with NO penalty has captured a large market share.

How does the Aviva Voluntary partial repayment option work in practice?

From inception of the new Aviva equity release plan there is the inherent ability to make repayments of an ad-hoc nature back to Aviva. Aviva do have a cap of 10% of the original capital borrowed that can be repaid in any one year. Additionally, the earliest date that the first repayment can be made is 12 months from the commencement date of the plan. So some forward planning needs to be made & this ideally would have been made with the involvement of your equity release adviser at recommendation stage.

Consideration needs to be borne in mind that interest will be added to the plan in the meantime for calculation purposes. For example, if a sum of £40,000 equity was initially released at an interest rate of 5.68%, the balance before any repayment could be made would be £42,272.

This is where the first decisions on how much to pay back need to be made, and there are three options available:-

If only a fixed budget is available, then a contribution towards the interest accruing could be made. Should this be less than the annual amount of interest charged, then the balance will still increase, albeit at a lower rate than would otherwise have been should nothing have been repaid.

Should a level future balance be the choice moving forward, the sum of £2,272 could be annually sent back to Aviva, thus reverting the balance back to its original starting point of £40,000. This process could theoretically continue infinitum until the plan ends, which would be upon death of the last borrower or them moving into long term care. The balance would always flicker between these two figures, dependent at what point the repayments of £2,272 were made.

If total repayment of the £40,000 is required, then a repayment strategy could be put in situ which would see this whole amount repaid over a set number of years. Dependent upon how much is initially borrowed & assuming maximum repayments of 10%pa can be maintained for the duration, Equity Release Supermarket can calculate at what point the plan can be fully repaid with NO penalty!

As an example Equity Release Supermarket have calculated someone borrowing £40,000, on the popular Aviva interest rate of 5.68%pa, & repaying the maximum £4,000pa could repay their Aviva lifetime mortgage shortly after the end of the 16th year.

Could this be classed as the first capital & interest equity release mortgage?

A reminder to make repayments will begin with the receipt of your first annual Aviva equity release mortgage statement. This will evidence the amount of interest that has been added to your plan. It is at that point that the first repayment can be made back to Aviva. The question is how much to pay & this will be down to an individual’s personal preferences.

Aviva have cleverly side stepped the issue of MMR (Mortgage Market Review) here. Whereas companies such as Stonehaven & more2life have had to adapt their interest only lifetime mortgage process to the new MMR regime, Aviva due to their ad-hoc approach to repayments have avoided the MMR obstacle. Regular payments cannot be set up to repay the Aviva equity release schemes. Although Aviva do permit upto 4 payments each year, subject to a minimum amount of £500, the repayment process has to still be managed through their head office.

This repayment process would initially involve a phone call to the Aviva offices advising them of the fact a repayment is due to be sent to them. In reply they will provide a verbal form of quote which acts as confirmation. This can be confirmed in writing to you & optionally your adviser aswell so they are aware of your intentions.

The next step would be to send the money which can be in the form of a cheque, credit or debit card or a bank transfer for which Aviva will provide their details & reference number to track. They will not accept payments without this process having been accomplished, or contact being made beforehand. In fact they could return the funds should this process was not followed.

Important repayment points to note

As previously stated, repayments can only commence after 12 months from inception of the loan. However, Aviva have imposed further 12 month conditions on when repayments can be made following certain events: –

Following withdrawal of cash funds from the drawdown facility of the flexible lifetime mortgage

Should any additional borrowing be taken in the future

In both situations, no repayments can therefore be made for 12 months following these two events also.

Additionally, the same applies in reverse;

Should a customer have made repayments and has an available cash reserve under their drawdown plan, they cannot gain access to the reserve or additional borrowing until 12 months following their last repayment has been made.

Aviva may consider requests for a further release of equity in exceptional circumstances outside of that rule.

These rules are effectively to prevent to the to-ing & fro-ing of cash funds within the plan which would undoubtedly have made the Aviva equity release plans unmanageable and unprofitable.

Although it’s still early days in the life of the new flexible repayment options, some ideas on managing the Aviva voluntary repayments have already sprung to mind.

Unlike Hodge Lifetime, Aviva do not impose a £10,000 lower capital threshold by which no further repayments can be made without penalty. In fact Aviva will allow the continued repayment of interest & capital with NO minimum amount down to zero, or even almost zero.

This could be beneficial for those who want to see the equity release balance to be reduced to a minimum level (e.g. £100 or less), yet still maintain the option of keeping their drawdown lifetime mortgage cash facility for the future. Bear in mind the small outstanding balance will accrue interest (albeit minimal), yet for many the comfort of retaining a cash reserve may have massive benefits should cash be required still in the future.

Summary

Aviva have responded well to the changing needs of the baby boomer generation as equity release moves into the next stage of its development. Retiree’s financial needs are becoming more complex with almost 75% of pensioners owning their own property, even carrying debt into retirement & living much longer than previous.

Aviva’s latest changes will therefore appeal to both advisers and consumers alike who are looking for more flexible loan terms on the long road ahead.

The current financial climate is quite simply awful for many people. Particularly, the retired & elderly are really struggling to make ends meet. Many retired people who left their work before the crisis hit have had to watch in horror as a lot of the value they had expected to retire on has been wiped away by stockmarkets & low interest rates with the banks & building societies. Sometimes, what is left in the pension isn’t enough, and their reaction is that they should sell their house in order to ensure a comfortable retirement.

However, with equity release plans, this might not necessarily be required. Instead of selling the family home, why not release equity to cover the short term finances. We maybe only talking a small sum to tie you over until prospects improve. Therefore, for the sake of selling in a depressed property market, bide your time & think carefully about your options available. Equity release schemes can play an important role here.

Equity release schemes are form of mortgage that enables people over age 55 to release locked up equity in their main residence. The typical and most commonly thought of equity release schemes are actually called lifetime mortgages. Lifetime mortgages are available to those over 55, and have specific characteristics which reflect this unique stage in life.

Equity release schemes are like normal mortgages in that they are associated money & a property. However, where most mortgages are used to purchase the property over an extended period of time, equity release mortgages are new mortgages placed on properties which already have or virtually paid off the mortgage. The result is that while the property now has some debt associated with it, the value that is unlocked can be used for large scale projects or purchases, supplement pensions or more commonly home improvements.

The other difference between an equity release lifetime mortgage and a normal mortgage is that with an equity release mortgage the assumption is that the balance will be paid off when the person who holds the plan sells the asset or as a part of the inheritance estate. This is why the over 55 age restriction on equity release schemes is so important. These financial products are designed to run for the rest of one’s life, so there is no call upon the repayment of the capital until death or moving into long term care.

Many retired people watched the drop in markets sweep billions from the values of the pension funds, and therefore pushing significant financial pressure inwardly. It is easy to see how the equity release mortgage would be an excellent option for retired people who are struggling either for income or a capital lump sum. Where they were potentially considering having to sell the family home or go back to work, many retired people can supplement their pensions with the value withdrawn via an equity release scheme.

As lifetime mortgage & home reversion plans are now members of SHIP, you always have the option of repaying the scheme during your lifetime. However, be wary of potential early repayment charges which some gilt related schemes can significantly impose. One way providers can recover their costs is through these means.

Often people think that equity release is tantamount to putting debts on to the next generation. What is important to keep in mind that with lifetime mortgages the ownership of the property stays in the hands of the plan owner, just like a regular mortgage. In fact, usually the biggest difference between a normal mortgage and an equity release mortgage is that the terms of the equity release plan are more favourable as they consider the age of the owner of the plan, and factor that into the calculations.

This means that those who inherit the property may also inherit the debt, but they now have the option to decide if they want to keep the property with a normal mortgage, or sell the asset and recover the rest of the equity. These are options which can be passed onward in an estate, making it easier for the family to make decisions which are appropriate for them.

Selling one’s house is an emotive issue & needs to be discussed with those closest to you. Next step would be to discuss whether equity release schemes are a viable option & this is where Equity Release Supermarket can use their considerable experience & knowledge to help.

For an impartial & free initial consultation call Mark on 0800 678 5159 who can offer words of advice. Alternatively,in confidence email mark@equityreleasesupermarket with any questions you may have.